Precise positioning and aiming of firearms is of particular importance in many circumstances. In particular, it is crucial for successful firing of a sniper rifle so as to hit the desired target.
At present, positioning and aiming of rifles is accomplished by means of bipods to which the rifle is affixed. The bipods in use today consist of a plate on which the rifle is mounted and a pair of telescoping legs. The legs, which may be closed together for ease of transportation, are spread apart to the open position and each of the legs is extended the desired amount to provide the height required by the sniper.
Bipods of this sort suffer from a number of disadvantages. Telescoping legs are not particularly strong so they have a tendency to bend. Precise positioning is difficult since the plate on which the rifle is mounted is rigidly fixed to the legs. This means that rotation through the azimuth is not possible, nor is rotation about an axis perpendicular to the plane of the legs.